The Institute of Legacy Management is consulting members over a merger with the Institute of Fundraising.
ILM's membership of 500 specialist legacy fundraisers and managers will be asked to support the proposal in a special vote at an Extraordinary General Meeting in early June.
The merger has the support of the ILM’s directors and the backing of the IoF’s trustees, but cannot go ahead unless approved by ILM members, the two bodies said in a joint statement issued today.
The IML’s name and branding would stay the same along with its annual conference and specialised training courses, the statement said. ILM members would also have full access to the IoF members’ benefits, including training, development and networking opportunities, and a subscription to Fundraising Magazine.
Helen Hoare, chair of ILM, said the merger would see the ILM sit within the IoF as a “unique special interest group”. Her role as chair and the board of ILM would be disbanded and replaced with a steering group, she said. Simon West, chief executive of the ILM, would be executive director of the ILM within the new structure.
Hoare said there would be no redundancies among the ILM’s three staff members as a result of the merger.
ILM has a turnover of around £200,000 a year and is a company limited by guarantee. All its assets would be absorbed by the IoF and the staff would move into the IoF offices.
The merger would allow the bodies to make more effective use of resources, but any cost savings were a benefit and not a driver of the merger, she said.
“This initiative is born out of our desire to provide our members with the best possible services and support, and to promote a wider understanding of legacy management across the third sector and beyond,” Hoare said.
As part of the merger, the ILM’s best practice guidance would be brought into the IoF’s Code of Fundraising Practice.
Mark Astarita, chair of the IoF, which also hosts Remember A Charity, the campaign to increase legacy giving, said: “The proposed merger is an exciting prospect for ILM and IoF members and, if approved, will properly bring legacy management within the wider fundraising community.
“This will lead to a more coherent and efficient approach in relation to legacy fundraising, legacy management and awareness campaigning in relation to legacy giving.
“We hope in the long term this will lead to greater revenue for charities through a more co-ordinated and joined-up approach to legacy fundraising.”
